Integrating Mobile Phones In Wearable Robots - Muthukumaran Thangaramanujam

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Integrating Mobile Integrating Mobile Phones in Wearable Phones in Wearable

Robots; Physiological Robots; Physiological monitoring monitoring

considerations for considerations for Rehabilitation RoboticsRehabilitation Robotics

Muthukumaran Thangaramanujam

Senior PhysiotherapistThe Derg Centre, Nenagh

11.01.2011

WhatWhat do you think?do you think?

• Rehabilitation? • Robots?• What?• Why?• How?

• Where?

What is Rehabilitation Robotics?

• Rehabilitation Robotics aims at the development of novel medical solutions for assisted motor therapy and functional assessment of patients with reduced motor and/or cognitive abilities in order to ultimately favor the best achievable functional recovery.

(The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, 2010)

Evolution

• The field of Robotics in Rehabilitation Engineering officially started with the research into Powered Human Exoskeleton Devices in the 1960s.

• The research into exoskeletons devices began with science groups in the United States and Yugoslavia, each with a different goal.

(Dollar and Herr, 2008)

Upper Limb – MIT Manus

• Robotic joystick guides the patient’s arm as he tries to move the handle toward a moving or stationary target shown on the monitor.

• If the person starts moving in the wrong direction or does not move, the robotic arm gently nudges his arm in the right direction.

Robotic Treadmill Training

• Lokomat Indications

• Spinal cord injury • Stroke • TBI• Multiple sclerosis • Cerebral Palsy

Armeo

Exoskeletons

• An exoskeleton is a wearable robot with joints and links corresponding to those of the human body (Pons, 2006)

• US Department & General Electric developed HARDIMAN intended to allow the wearer to lift 1,500 lbs (Bogue, 2009)

Exoskeletons today

• REX – Robotic EXoskeleton• Rex is potentially suitable for

manual wheelchair users who can self-transfer and operate hand controls.

• potentially suitable for MS, post-polio syndrome as well as spinal lesions caused by accident or illness. (Rex Bionics, 2010)

Exoskeletons today

• Hybrid Assistive Limb – 5 Prof. Sankai, Tsukuba University, Japan

HAL 5

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Other Wearable Robots

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Need for Physiological Monitoring

• Some Robotic devices such as the Lokomat, ReoAmbulator increase cardiovascular activity during treatment due to Treadmill training.

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Resuscitation Challenges

• Monitoring and controlling heart rate during exercise can be crucial for preventing overtraining and in providing an efficient training protocol to subjects.(Achten & Jeukendrup,2003)

• The need for monitoring heart during Robotic assisted therapy has been acknowledged.

(Koenig et al. 2009)• No commercially available Rehabilitation Robot

has an inbuilt Cardiac Monitoring Mechanism.

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First Law of Robotics

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. (Asimov, 1942)

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Mobile Phones?

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Smart Phones?

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Smart phone Apps & Tech

• Blood Pressure• Heart Rate• Basic EEG

• GPS• Gyroscopes• Accelorometers

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Robot-App; LEGO Mindroid

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Toshiba mobile controlled

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Clinical Hypothesis

• Initial stages of design of a wearable Rehabilitation Robot

• Possibilities should be explored for physiological monitoring and transmission of the same to patient’s mobile phone or tablet device which acts as a monitoring console.

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Clinical Hypothesis

• The mobilephone may be integrated in the robot or can be linked via a secure network to the robot.

• The monitoring console should contain software that alerts the clinician in case of abnormal physiological activity.

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Benefits

• This would enable the patient to carry out home exercise programmes

• such as task, oriented practice by wearing a robot,

• while their kinetic and physiological activity can be monitored by a Clinician at a remote location

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The Brick has come a long way...

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Questions?

“Muthu”Muthukumaran Thangaramanujam

Senior Physiotherapist Nenagh Primary Care Team, HSE West,

Nenagh General Hospital, Co. Tipperary

Email: muthu.t@hse.ie

twitter: @rehabrobotics